1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to brassieres and, more particularly, a brassiere having an improved brassiere frame construction.
An important aspect in a brassiere frame is the ability of the breast cups of the brassiere frame to adjust themselves to the movement of the pectoral muscles and adipose tissue, i.e., the breasts, of a wearer as the breasts vary in size during the wearer's menstrual cycle or move during movements of the wearer, while comfortably maintaining support and shaping. Specifically, should the breast cups of the brassiere fail to adjust properly, they may provide too much restraint which can cause discomfort to the wearer, or too little restraint which can cause inadequate support of the breasts of the wearer. Attempts have been made to achieve the proper restraint in a brassiere frame by either altering the area between the breast cups of the brassiere or by altering the construction of the dorsal panels.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,127 to Sachs, which patent is owned by the assignee of the present application, relates to a brassiere having a triangular piece of material at the lower center of the brassiere frame. The material is a two way elastic powernet material, and is connected to a girthwise stretchable underbust band and between crossing tapes, a portion of each tape being located at the inboard margin of a different one of the pair of breast cups.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,381,689 also to Sachs, which patent is also owned by the assignee of the present invention, relates to a brassiere having a non-stretchable triangular piece of mesh-like fabric at the lower center of the brassiere frame. This brassiere frame also includes the underbust band and crossing tapes feature of the above Sachs patent. However, this patented brassiere provides an elastomeric type action by the bias stretch in the fabric in the girthwise direction due to the underbust band and non-stretchable triangular piece of mesh-like fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,254 to Freedman and U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,255 to LoCascio, which latter patent is also assigned to the assignee of the present application, also relate to brassiere frames which have a triangular portion connecting breast cups. These patents provide a single side panel construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,419 to DiTullio relates to a brassiere which provides for support of and conformance to the wearer by flattening and streamlining the sides of the breast of a full-figured woman by the side panels. Specifically, each side panel consists of two components. The first component is an elongated, angularly disposed, generally triangular shaped member adjacent the breast cup, which component extends from the connection of the shoulder strap to the cup downward to the base of the frame. The second component is connected to the first component and extends about the back of the wearer. The first component stretches basically in the vertical direction, likewise, the second component also stretches basically in the vertical direction. Each of the breast cups are spaced apart and connected together by a central panel, and adjacent and below the lower portion of each breast cup is an underbust band assembly which stretches in the horizontal or girthwise direction. The brassiere of this patent uses the side panels to flatten the sides of breasts of the wearer, thereby necessarily pushing the wearer's breasts forward. This may possibly cause some discomfort and, in any event, emphasizes the breast features of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,969,067 to Smith relates to a brassiere which attempts to support the wearer by providing as little restraint as is needed, however, this brassiere has a rather complicated construction. Specifically, the brassiere has a basic V configuration with each breast cup area comprising a breast cup with an upper portion and a lower portion, and a front panel adjacent the lower portion of the breast cup. The front panel of each breast cup is preferably formed of one-way stretch fabric resiliently stretchable in the vertical direction. Adjacent the inboard margin of each breast cup and its respective front panel, there is provided a generally elongated triangular strip. The brassiere frame also includes a side section adjacent the outboard edge of each cup and its respective front panel, and a backband section adjacent the side section. The side section comprises a single piece of one-way stretch elastic material having a series of alternating width bands with the narrow bands having a substantially greater resistance to stretch than the wider bands. The angle of stretch in the side section is substantially 45.degree. to the horizontal lower edge of the side section. Backbands preferably stretch only in the horizontal or girthwise direction. While this patent has some of the key features found in the present invention, such as the side section stretches at an angle of 45.degree., a back section which provides for girthwise stretch and a breast cup area which provides for vertical stretch although this stretch is due to a separate and distinct front panel, the brassiere of the Smith patent nevertheless has a different construction between the breast cups which construction includes inboard margin elements adjacent each cup. Further, the side section is comprised of bands of material of different width and different stretchability, and still further this brassiere fails to provide an elastic body band along the lower edge of the brassiere frame as is found in the present invention. Thus, this brassiere frame provides a rather cumbersome construction than that of the present invention. Moreover, as stated in Column 1, line 69 etc., the object of this brassiere is to provide restraint and control in the underarm areas of the body thereby providing the desired support.
Other patents provide a brassiere frame having a two component side panel, however they also do not suggest the area between the breast cups construction of the present invention, and moreover their side panel construction is different than that of the present invention.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,008 to LoCascio, which patent is also assigned to the assignee of the present application, provides a brassiere having a two component side or dorsal panel. The first component is adjacent the cup portion of the brassiere, and the second component is adjacent the first component. Each component of a side panel stretches in two directions, with the major stretch axis of one component being 45.degree. with respect to the major stretch axis of the second component. However, in this patent, as in the Smith patent, the cups are spaced apart by a center portion. Also, immediately below the lower portion of each breast cup, there is provided an additional front portion.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,971,514 to Steinmetz, the component adjacent the breast cups is stretchable in the vertical and horizontal direction while the second component adjacent the first component is not stretchable in any direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,959 to Fridolph provides for a pair of front sections each of which includes a breast cup, side band adjacent each front section and having a rather large lower part, and a shoulder straps adjacent each side band. The side band is stretchable in the horizontal direction, while the shoulder strap, which extends in a sweeping manner to the back of the brassiere, is stretchable in an angular direction.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,878 to Radomski there are three side components, each component having stretchability in two directions which are basically the vertical and horizontal directions of the brassiere frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,732 to Holscher has a side panel of two components which both stretch in the diagonal direction.
U.K. Patent Specification No. 1,163,166 to Berlei has each side panel made of two components with each component stretchable in two directions. Moreover, this patent provides such a construction for the expressed purpose of avoiding having the back of the brassiere frame ride up the wearer's back.